Astral Love
by endlesslymax
Summary: Ever since entering the Wizarding World, Harry has felt something missing. That is, until he finds a mother figure in Nova Lovegood, an elusive cursebreaker who seems to know everyone, and a father figure in notorious mass murderer and godfather, Sirius Black. How will Fate bring together this patchwork family?
1. Preface

"Where have you been!?" came the screeching voice of Molly Weasley, so shrill that it could be heard all the way from Bill's room. The three teenagers exchanged a glance before sporting identical cheshire smiles at the idea of watching Fred, George and Ron get a talking-to. They spotted an oblivious Ginny making her way down in front of them, before hearing her ask, "Mum, have you seen my jumper?" Hiding behind the wall of the last step, they heard the response, "Yes, dear. It's on the cat," Her tone _seemed_ pretty calm, so they stepped down just in time to have Ginny literally run into them in her haste to turn around. "Wotcher, Gin!" called Bill, as he extended his arms to steady his sister. She gave a startled squeal before stepping around them and continuing her hasty escape from the kitchen. "Wonder what her deal-" Nova began before registering that there was another person in the room besides her that wasn't a ginger. She cocked her head in a quizzical manner before going to extend her hand, but she was beat by the enthusiastic greeting of Molly Weasley saying, "Hello, dears! Have you met Harry?" Harry turned, giving a small smile and an awkward wave of his hand to the newcomers, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"Of course they haven't met Harry, Mum-"

"-He just got here."

"Honestly, woman are you sure you're not going-"

"-A bit senile?" Fred and George traded off sentences, while throwing an arm around each of their eldest brothers. George ducked the frying pan that was playfully swung in his direction by their mother while chuckling, and announced, "We present to you, Harry Potter,-"

"-The most wonderful and illustrious,-"

"-Aspiring Gringott's Curse-Breaker-"

"-And our older brothers' best friend-"

"-The beautiful Miss Nova Lovegood!"

Nova was shoved forward by the unashamed twins and stuck her hand out towards Harry, "Nice to meet you, kid!" She said with a smile and a wink. "I think you'll fit in well with this clan of weirdos,"

"Hey, who are you calling weirdos?" Came from the door as Mr. Weasley walked in, giving a hug to everyone in the room, "Of course not you, Mr. Weasley! We all know you're the most sane of the bunch," Nova responded, leaning in for her own hug. "Now, now, none of this Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nonsense. How many times have we told you to just call us Mum and Dad?" Molly admonished, gathering her in a hug of her own. "Yes, Mum," the girl responded while playfully rolling her eyes.

"If we could get-"

"-Back to the introductions, please!"

Yelled Fred and George, "These strapping young men are Bill and Charlie Weasley,-"

"Although, with the ginger hair, I don't think you really needed to specify their last names" Nova cut in.

Sticking his tongue out at her, Bill stepped up to clap Harry on the shoulder, "Good to see you here. If you need anything just let us know,"

Harry gave a genuine smile to the whole family, feeling more happy than he could say at the fact that no one had even given his scar a second glance. Finally relaxed with everyone seated at the table, minus Ginny who had apparently run off somewhere, they proceeded with breakfast.

"We're going to go out and play Quidditch if you want to-"

*SMACK* came the sound from the window, and everyone turned in time to see Erol, the family owl, slide down the glass it had just run into. Percy went to retrieve the letters, which turned out to all be from Hogwarts and distributed them to the teenagers that would be attending. "Well, it looks like we are all in for a trip to Diagon Alley! I know you kids don't need school supplies anymore since you graduated, but feel free to join us," Shrugging, Nova, Bill and Charlie headed upstairs to grab their cloaks in anticipation of a day out.

The Weasley family lined up in front of their fireplace, and had Ron go first to show Harry how to travel by Floo. "Diagon Alley!" Ron practically yelled, as he threw his handful of Floo Powder into the fire, and was whisked away. Ignoring the stricken look on Harry's face, Molly ushered him forward, instructing him to do the same thing. "Digonalley!" Was what came out of Harry's mouth before he too disappeared into the flames. Seeing everyone stand there with quizzical expressions on their faces, Nova suggested, "You all go on and catch up with Ron, and I'll try to say it the same way Harry did and see if I can figure out where he ended up."

Agreeing that was a good idea, everyone took their turn going through the Floo. Stepping up last, Nova intoned, "Digonalley!"

She was spit out in a dark and dusty room, filled with what she recognized as human heads. Figuring out that she had somehow made it to Knockturn Alley, she made her way out of the back room, and right past Harry's hiding spot, before noticing the back of a very blonde head. "Luc? Is that you?" She called out. The aristocrat turned to face her slowly and with as much grace as one could put into spinning on one's heel. He quirked an eyebrow before drawing his mouth into a genuine half-smile "Miss Nova, what a surprise to see you in this neck of the woods. I hear you're nearly done with Gringott's training program," He bent in a low bow over her hand, brushing her knuckles with his lips. Returning the gesture with a quick curtsey, she replied, "Yes, I should be finished by the end of summer," Another blonde head caught her attention as it came barrelling towards her. Catching the young Malfoy in a hug, she teased, "Hello, Draco! How is my second-favorite Slytherin?" Giving her an offended look, Draco said, "I thought I was your first favorite," With a haughty sniff and a raise of his nose, Lucius cut in, "Obviously the elder Malfoy holds the spot for favorite," The girl rolled her eyes at the two blondes in front of her, "Sorry, mini-Malfoy, you may be my godson, but I knew your dad first," she said with a wink.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lucius finished his business with Borgin and left with a promise for Cissy to send her an invite for tea soon. Once the Malfoys had left, Nova did a quick _Homenum Revelio_ and made her way over to the sarcophagus that Harry had been hiding in. The young boy stepped out, giving her a wary look. "What are you doing here, and why do you know _Malfoy_?" He spat the name as if it were a curse word. She barked a laugh while placing a hand on his back to steer him out of the shady store. "Me and the Malfoys go way back to my younger Hogwarts days. As for what I'm doing here, well, _someone_ had to come looking for you after you utterly botched your Floo Address!"

With a look of dawning comprehension, Harry's eyes widened. "So this isn't Diagon Alley? Then where am I?"

"This is Knockturn Alley, kid. And somewhere you really have no business being. At least, not without a serious glamour to hide who you are and a damn good reason." She fixed him with her sternest look, "But obviously this time wasn't your fault. Let's get caught up with the family before Mum has a fit,"

Nova started to walk, but noticed that the kid wasn't following. Turning around, she noticed a look of trepidation in his startlingly green eyes. He bit his lip and opened his mouth hesitantly to post a question. "Are you.. you know.. related to Malfoy?" She raised her eyebrows, "They actually kicked me out of the family for not having a good enough smirk." she deadpanned. "Nah kid, we were just friends back at Hogwarts and our families knew each other pretty well."

His face turning red, he stuttered, "Oh, I just… I thought.. you know with the hair and the eyes… and you know…" Laughing, she cut him off before he could get even more embarrassed. "What, so everyone with blonde hair and blue eyes is suddenly a Malfoy now?" She jested, elbowing him lightly. He huffed a little bit and crossed his arms, seemingly gaining a bit more confidence, and retorted, "Well it's a little bit confusing when your hair is the exact same color and all," Giving a giggle, she rolled her eyes, "That's actually how we got to know each other, people kept mixing us up when they saw me from the back. You wouldn't imagine the number of times I was called 'Lucius' " Imagining the pompous man being called by a girl's name made Harry snort and give a genuine chuckle.

She slung an arm around the boy's shoulders and noticed how frail he felt. She stopped him in an alcove and bent down to his level. "Hey, Harry. Are you alright?"

Taken aback, he responded quickly, "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

With a slow look she said, "I heard what Fred said about bars on your windows. I know we just met, but if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask, alright?"

Harry gave a slow nod as a foreign feeling flooded his heart. Someone cared? Someone believed him? He searched her eyes for a sign that she was joking, but he couldn't find one. There wasn't even pity. She just honestly cared for him- a kid she didn't even really know- and looked like she would believe what he said. Bewildered, he took her hand and let her lead him out into Diagon Alley to catch up with the other Weasleys.

For the rest of the time that Harry was at the Burrow, he was practically glued to Nova's side. While she didn't mind, Bill and Charlie were a different story, because wherever Harry went, Ron went. Needless to say, the elder brothers weren't fans of their little squirt of a brother following them around everywhere. No one really understood why Harry would always follow the blonde girl, or why he seemed to visibly relax when she was nearby, so Fred and George took to taunting him about him having a 'crush' on her, and Ron acted huffy and jealous that she was 'stealing' his best friend, but they both took it good naturedly. Their friendship grew and turned into trust and Harry began to allude and hint to his less-than-stellar treatment at the Dursleys, and she in turn told him stories about her Hogwarts days and tried to help assimilate him into the magical world. Something that she found he was extremely behind in learning.

By the time September 1st came around, she had taught him all the Pureblood etiquettes, bought him a wardrobe that wasn't all hand-me-downs, tutored him in nearly all the coursework for his upcoming year, and started explaining rudimentary ward breaking since it was her specialty. Harry never thought he would say it, but he was actually a little bit sad that his next year at Hogwarts was about to start.


	2. Letters and Correspondence

_Harry,_

 _I hope the start of your school year is going well and you are busy impressing your teachers with all the revising we did this summer! I just wanted to check in with you and see how you were doing and let you know that Bill and I finished our training with Gringotts and are now official Curse Breakers! We have been assigned to Egypt to go check out tombs and other ancient sites in order to help our team get through the wards and curses (and man, are there some really nasty ones). It'll be hard to communicate, and take a while, but please feel free to sent me an owl back and I'll do my best to get a letter back to you._

 _Keep your head on straight, kid._

 _Love,_

 _Nova Lovegood_

* * *

 _Nova,_

 _This year has been pretty boring so far. Honestly with the crazy end of last term, I was expecting another homicidal Defence teacher, but instead we got that idiot Gilderoy Lockhart. If you've heard of him, please tell me that you're not all gaga over him like every girl here is. He's a moron. And keeps trying to have me sign autographs with him. Could it be a curse of idiocy? And if so, can you come and break it?_

 _Congrats, by the way! I hope you're enjoying your new job and get to see a lot of cool stuff with Bill._

 _Send me some Egyptian sand!_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_

 _By now, you should be covered head to toe in sand and I can only hope that you had the misfortune of opening this in the Great Hall in front of all your friends. Egypt is absolutely amazing, and the curse breaking is super rad. It's all really hush-hush so I can't give you any details at all, but I would like to learn more about you, so how about in the P.S. of every letter, we share a story about ourselves?_

 _Let me know how your grades are! There's no way I'm allowing you to slack, young man. (Even with that pompous prick as a Defence teacher)_

 _Love,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. One time, during my fifth year, I got an entire term's worth of detention every week because I was caught not only sneaking in the Forbidden Forest after curfew (and sneaking Lucius into the wards), but also was only found because I had to be carted to St. Mungo's from a Runespore bite. The whole story was that Luc was obsessed with snakes and Slytherin and all that (surprise, surprise) so he decided we should try to learn Parseltongue. Seeing as the only Parseltongue in Britain was LV, we couldn't exactly ask for lessons from a dead guy, we decided to try to learn from books. Once we thought we had a decent understanding of it, Luc snuck into the HOgwarts grounds and we found a Runespore nest in the Forbidden Forest. So we tried to talk to it. Turns out, we weren't as good at it as we had hoped we were. Long story short, I'm pretty sure Lucius insulted one of their mates, so they attacked us, but I was the one that ended up being bitten. The rest, is history._

* * *

 _Dear Nova,_

 _My grades are actually excellent, considering all the studying we did over the summer! I've been reading the Runes and Warding books you let me borrow and they've been great, although Ron has been accusing me of being even more of a bookworm than Hermione. But, honestly I don't mind too much. It's worth it to learn more about magic._

 _Recently, a student was Petrified and I ended up finding them in the halls. There was water everywhere and blood on the wall talking about "Enemies of the Heir, Beware". No one is really sure what to make of that, but Dumbledore turned really white and Hagrid won't talk to anyone about it. Have you ever heard of something like that before?_

 _On another note, I can apparently ACTUALLY speak to snakes. Everyone thinks I'm the Heir that Petrified the student because of this, but that doesn't make any sense. They're all scared of me and say that speaking to snakes is Dark, but if you tried to learn it, it can't be that bad, right? Maybe I could teach you if I could ever figure out the difference between it and English… Anyways, please don't hate me, or think that I'm Dark. I swear I'm not!_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. Two words: Harry Hunting. Dudley (the cousin I told you about) makes it his life mission to terrorize me with a whole bunch of his friends, because 5 on 1 is totally fair. Basically the premise of Harry Hunting is I run and hide as much as I can and they chase me and if they catch me, they beat me until I can hardly walk home. Really, I preferred this sometimes to actually spending my time at my Aunt and Uncle's house in my cupboard. I guess that's how I got to be so fast at running and on a broom, and I have a lot of practice at it._

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_

 _How does it feel to be the scary Heir of Slytherin? Just messing with you, but wow! The fact that you can speak to snakes is awesome! Have you ever tried tracing back your Genealogy to see if you actually are related to Salazar Slytherin? Just throwing out a suggestion. Anyways, that's awful about your classmate being attacked. Something similar happened before my mother was in school, where the fabled Chamber of Secrets was opened. It was apparently made by Salazar Slytherin as a way to "protect" the school and house his most secret possessions. After a student was killed, they were threatening to shut the school down until they could get the situation under control, but before it could come to that, a student by the name of Rubeus Hagrid (Yes, our Hagrid), was framed for it and thrown out of school. He was saved from Azkaban by Dumbledore and was obviously allowed to stay at Hogwarts as Gamekeeper._

 _That's about all I know, but be careful and don't go out alone at night!_

 _I'm beyond glad to hear you're doing well despite everything that's going on around you. I've enclosed another book (I'm really just trying to make you my own personal walking library) that's all about Dueling. Something tells me that with all of the stuff that goes on around you, you'll need it. Keep studying hard!_

 _All my love,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. I was arranged to be married before I was even born. My grandfather was close business partners with the Black family, and they had promised the firstborn Lovegood girl to the secondborn Black boy. (In pureblood culture, you can't arrange the firstborn male before he is born) So from the beginning of my memory I was groomed to be the wife of Regulus Black, who was about 8 years older than me. We actually developed a close friendship that was honestly more familial than anything in the few years before he went missing and was presumed dead. It's sad, but I can't help but be a little bit glad that I'm not married yet. I mean, I'm only 23!_

* * *

 _Dear Nova,_

 _I don't really know how to write this… Well, I'm writing this from the Hospital Wing… Your information helped a lot but then my friend Hermione got attacked and a whole bunch of other students. Later there was blood on the wall about a girl being left in the Chamber to die forever and Ron and I figured out that it was Ginny that was taken and so we figured out where it was and went in. Well, we found her. It turned out to be a young Voldemort possessing her body through a diary and making her set Slytherin's monster (Who is a Basilisk) on Muggleborns in the school. He was taking her life to power his resurrection. Long story short I somehow ended up with the Sword of Gryffindor and killed the Basilisk and the diary and was able to save her. It sounds all heroic, but really it was a whole bunch of luck and good circumstances._

 _Something happened that scared and confused me though. The Young Voldemort was speaking to me, explaining his plans and I felt like I almost agreed with some of the things that he was saying. Did you know he doesn't really want to kill all the Muggles, he just wanted to keep our worlds separate by taking the magical children away from them and having them learn our culture and customs rather than corrupting them. After learning so much with you, I can't help but agree. At least, agree with the Young Voldemort. Does that make me a bad person? Am I turning Dark?_

 _The only thing that kept me from letting him come back was the fact that it meant that Ginny would die and I just couldn't let that happen._

 _I wish you were here, but I'm glad we can write to each other. I hope things are going well wherever you are and that you're staying more safe than I am. Maybe we could meet up sometime this summer?_

 _I miss you._

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. I'm too tired for a story, but honestly? My childhood was utter shite. My entire family hates me and if there was some way you could bring me with you, even if it's dangerous and terrible, I'd gladly go._

* * *

 _Harry,_

 _I'm not sure how you keep getting thrown into these situations, but I'm so sorry that this all has happened to you. As it is, even I don't know where I am because we are all camped out in some burial site in the middle of nowhere, but if I could, I'd bring you with me._

 _Harry, this is going to be weird to hear, but you can't think of everything in this world as Good and Evil, Light and Dark. Magic is magic and everyone has an opinion and having your own thoughts does_ _not_ _make you a bad person._

 _I actually know all about Voldemort's original opinions and plans and had agreed with a majority of them in my youth. I can't pinpoint when it turned from changing politics to mindless killings and raids, but it wasn't always like that. Maybe this Young Voldemort that you talked to still had his old ideals? If so, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with agreeing that traditions should be upheld. Magic is magic and you can't classify something as "Dark" or "Light" without taking the caster's intention into account. Many "Light" spells can be used to cause just as much or more damage than their "Dark" counterparts. I've enclosed another book over magical Philosophy for you to read this summer, and maybe you'll feel better about the way you've been feeling._

 _I love you, please keep your chin up and power through. You'll be back in school before you know it._

 _Love,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. Along with the book, there is a bracelet in the shape of a snake. Tell it to "Grow" in Parseltongue and it will get bigger and you can store things in it's mouth. I've packed you some food and drinks under a stasis charm, and once you take all that out, you can store whatever you want in it. Tell it to "Shrink" and it will become bracelet sized again. I hope this helps!_

* * *

 _Nova,_

 _Sorry this response has taken so long, but that bracelet is BRILLIANT. I cannot begin to thank you enough for that and the most recent book. I spent all summer reading and rereading it and I think I get what it's trying to say. I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders! I'm writing this King's Cross and you'll hopefully get this as I'm arriving at school. My relatives wouldn't let me send any mail because having an owl flying out of my window would make the neighbors think that our whole family is as freaky as I am. I finally figured out how to do the Levitation Charm wandlessly after working on it all year, so I used it in front of my family and now they're so scared that I'm going to hex them that they don't treat me nearly as bad anymore. I don't have any other news from this summer since I spent most of it reading my school books for the upcoming year and doing my homework, but I can't help but hope that we have an uneventful year this time. The train's pulling up, I gotta go!_

 _Love you,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. I didn't know my name was Harry until my teacher called roll when I was 5. Up until then, I thought my name was "freak" or "boy"._

* * *

 _Harry,_

 _I'm so so glad that you got to have some peace this summer! I'll do my best to come and visit you as soon as this excavation is over and we can talk all about the theory of magic and anything else you have on your mind. I miss you to bits, kid._

 _This time's book is all about Defensive magic (since you've had crap teachers for the entirety of your schooling). Be sure to study it alongside your Duelling and try to incorporate them with each other! We found a whole ridiculous amount of treasure here so far, so enjoy the emerald that's enclosed with the book. It reminded me of your eyes, and really I thought you should have something nice as your birthday present. I suggest keeping it on you at all times, because I put more protection charms than I could possibly write down on it, so it will help keep you safe. Send me a copy of your grades from last term!_

 _Love always,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. I don't know if you remember, but I'm Draco Malfoy's godmother. Because of that, I've known him for his whole life, and (don't tell him I told you this) he was really beaten up when you didn't want to be friends with him in First Year. He honestly didn't know what he did wrong. I know he can come off as a little snot sometimes, but he was just trying to act like his father when he was trying to make your acquaintance. You may want to think about giving him another chance- it never hurts to have friends in unexpected places._

* * *

 _Nova,_

 _Dementors are the bane of my existence. They were on the train and oh god, I see the night my parents died and pass out every time they get close to me. I can't help it and I feel so powerless. Our new Defence professor, Professor Lupin, fought them off, and honestly he's pretty good. I'm thinking about asking him how to fight them off myself. They're posted all around Hogwarts because a man escaped Azkaban. Sirius Black. He has the same last name as the man you were supposed to marry, so did you know him?_

 _The emerald only helps a little against the Dementors, but it saved me when I fell from my broom because of them, so I owe you a huge thank you. I had it put on a chain that I wear as a necklace all the time._

 _If you know anything that would help against those awful soul suckers, please let me know!_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. Is there any way you could forge my Hogsmeade permission slip for me? My Aunt and Uncle refused to because "The Freak shouldn't be allowed to have fun"._

 _P.P.S. I'll think about the whole Malfoy thing, but he's been a right prat about telling everyone how I fainted because of the Dementors._

* * *

 _Har,_

 _Is your Defence teacher's first name Remus? If so, please tell him I say hello, and how his 'furry little problem' is! It's been so long since I've seen or heard about him._

 _The spell you're thinking of is "Expecto Patronum" but if you've asked him about it, you probably already know that. You have to say it while thinking of the happiest memory you can, and it's really the only defence against Dementors._

 _Yes, I did know Sirius. He was really a great guy, and he was best friends with your parents. I know that may be hard to hear, but it's thought that he was the one who betrayed your family's location to Voldemort. I have my doubts because the Sirius I knew was the most loyal and anti-Voldemort person I've ever met. Him and your dad were like brothers, so before you go on hating the man, maybe think about what could cause a man to turn on his own family._

 _I'll write to Dumbledore about you being able to go to Hogsmeade and see what I can do!_

 _Please please please stay safe._

 _Love,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. I'm glad to hear the emerald is doing its job. I've sent a book about protection charms if you find any that you want to add to it._

* * *

 _Nov,_

 _Professor Lupin said to tell you that his rabbit is doing just fine. Whatever that means. He also said to tell you hello and to write him soon._

 _We've started our lessons and he says that they're going well, but I can't help but feel frustrated that it's taking so long to master._

 _After I fell off my broom at the last Quidditch game, I received a new top-of-the-line Firebolt with no name on it. Everyone is freaking out that it's cursed, and I was wondering if you were the one that sent it? As it is, it's being checked over by just about every professor for any time of foreign magic. I have no idea when I'll get it back._

 _The Twins gave me a map called "The Marauders Map" that shows everyone in Hogwarts and where they are. It's pretty awesome! I don't know who the Marauders are, but they're brilliant. On a less happy note, I used it to sneak into Hogsmeade (but I didn't get caught!) and it turns out that not only is Sirius Black my godfather, they were also never going to tell me of this or the fact that he was good friends with my parents. I can't believe they insist on hiding everything from me._

 _I guess I should be used to it at this point, but still…_

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. Did you know that Professor Lupin was friends with my parents also? Did he know Sirius Black?_

* * *

 _Har,_

 _I heard from Remus and he has nothing but awesome things to say! I'm so proud of you._

 _That charm is impossible for a lot of adults to master, so the fact that you can do it at 13 is amazing._

 _I'm sorry I can't take credit for sending you the new broom, but I hope you got it all sorted, those brooms are awesome. You should be getting it back soon- it doesn't take that long to check for tampering._

 _The fact that that map ended up in your hands is astounding. I actually helped Fred and George nick it in their first year from Filch's office. Of course I know who the Marauders are: Mooney is Remus, Wormtail is Peter, Padfoot is Sirius, and Prongs was your dad. They were all best friends in school and beat The Terror Twins for the title of biggest pranksters in Hogwarts history. It's not too surprising that Remus hasn't brought it up, it probably brings up bad memories. Anyways, that answers both of your questions at once. The map is rightfully yours, as none of the other Marauders had children, so keep it safe and use it well._

 _Adults have a penchant for hiding things from those they think aren't old enough to handle the truth, but I hope you know that I will always give you as much as I know, no matter what._

 _Love you always,_

 _Nova_

 _P.S. How are those books coming along? Feel free to send suggestions on what you'd like me to send next! I have a feeling we will be seeing each other sooner than you think._

* * *

 _Nova,_

 _A whole slew of stuff has happened, but Professor Dumbledore swore me to secrecy, even from writing about it. Maybe you could get him to give me permission to tell you?_

 _Anyways, the important part is that I and all my friends are safe. We just had one hell of an adventure._

 _Thank you for always being honest with me. Believe it or not, all the stuff you've been telling me actually helped a lot with said adventure, and I'm a lot more okay with everything._

 _I also completely understand why you didn't tell me about Professor Lupin being a Werewolf. It wasn't your secret to tell. But honestly, it makes no difference to me or any of my friends. He was a great teacher and a really nice guy. Turning into a wolf once a month doesn't change that._

 _Maybe you could send me a book on Magical Creatures? I could learn more about Werewolves and other misunderstood magical creatures. And what did you mean by you'll be seeing me soon? Will you be back this summer? We leave to go home later this week, so I hope so. I can't wait!_

 _Love from your favorite Gryffindor,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. The Weasleys invited me to the Quidditch World Cup! I doubt that's where we will see each other but it's going to be tons of fun._


	3. Chapter 1 - Aten

"Just a little bit farther!" Charlie called out to his team members. Seeing a red jet of light coming towards his face, he quickly ducked to avoid it as he heard a tinkling laughter. "Yes, laugh all you want, Lovegood, just remember who's in charge here," he called out sarcastically. Schooling the smile off of her face, she let go of one of the ropes she was holding and saluted him. "Sir, yes sir!" She yelled, before losing her balance as the Chinese Fireball pulled against her restraints again, trying to shoot more flames at Charlie.

They made it to the clearing at the Dragon Reserve in Romania that they would be keeping the dragons at until it was time to transport them to Hogwarts for the Tournament. After setting up boundary wards so that the beasts couldn't escape, the team made their way back to Base. Nova was leaving for a day to surprise Harry at King's Cross Station and see him off to Hogwarts for his Fourth Year. She sat for a quick dinner with the guys before saying her goodbyes and stepping into the Floo. "King's Cross Platform 9 ¾ !" She cried, before the green flames rose up and whisked her away.

Nova stepped onto the Platform and appraised her surroundings with a keen eye. She was about 2 hours early, so there wasn't much activity and she easily spotted the large black dog staring at the Barrier. He was incredibly dirty and thin, and seemed to be waiting for someone to come through, but after a few people came and went without him moving, she decided to approach the animal. "Here, boy," She said, reaching her hand out to offer him a piece of the pastry she had been snacking on. The dog cautiously inched towards the offered food and gingerly took it from her hand. "Good boy!" She smiled at him, "Do you want the rest?" The dog almost seemed to nod before taking the rest of her snack and almost swallowing it whole. With a bemused expression on her face, Nova extended her hand this time to softly pat the dog on the head. The poor mutt leaned into her touch and wagged his tail. She giggled and scratched him behind his ears saying, "I bet you do this for all the ladies. Either that, or you just want more food," The dog gave the canine-equivalent of a shrug before giving her his best puppy-dog look.

"Alright, alright. We can go get you some more from the vendor, just come with me," He obediently trailed after her, and she gave the dog a strange expression. "Can you understand English?" The dog nodded at her and looked almost bashful. "Well, I guess magic can do some crazy things.." She muttered to herself, shaking her head and offering the sandwich to him.

The strange dog walked the sandwich over to the bench that they were sitting at, and began to dig in as Nova absentmindedly pet his head and checked her watch. "I don't know who you're waiting on, pup, but it's about to get real crowded," Looking up from his meal, he gave an excited yip. "You must be waiting on one of the students, then. I thought they didn't allow familiars in Hogwarts?" The shaggy dog ducked his head and gave a sad sigh.

"Nova!" Came a voice that seemed to be quickly approaching her. Bracing herself for a hug from her godson, she stood to catch the teenager in her arms before realizing that he had showed down before reaching her. Dismayed that he was growing up so fast, she still brought Draco in for a nice big hug. "Hello, little one! You're all grown up now," She exclaimed, ruffling his perfectly set hair. Draco threw her a scowl white frantically trying to fix it before his Father caught up to them. Lucius was only a couple of meters away when the black dog started growling. "No, Black! Bad dog," she intoned while bopping him on the nose. Her scold seemed to startle the dog, as he just sat back and looked at her in a dazed way.

"Is that his name? Black?" Asked Draco. "No, that's his color, or could you not notice while you were trying so desperately to fix your hair?" She teased him, sticking out her tongue. As Lucius arrived at her side, she pulled both of the Malfoy boys in for a hug with either arm and snuggled in. "I've missed you guys while I've been away, but man do I have some great inappropriate stories to tell you over tea!" With a haughty scoff, Lucius asked, "And when will that be? We haven't gotten more than letters from you for the last 3 years, Little Sun,"

"Soon! Very soon. I'll be closer than you think this year," Winking, and then exchanging a meaningful look with Lucius, she let go of the platinum haired men. "Cissy should be here any moment, so we are going to head to the Apparation point, but come join us later if you wish. She keeps saying how she misses her honorary little sister," "Sounds good, I'll see you boys soon!" She gave them each a kiss on the cheek in farewell before slipping Draco a wrapped present into his pocket. As the Malfoys walked away, Nova sat back down on the bench and continues to pet the dog. Not a moment later, a dejected looking Harry came meandering through the barrier, pushing his trolley. He looked rail thin, but he had his expanded trunk and owl on his cart, and she could see the ring and pendant on his person.

"Hey kid, you really shouldn't be walking alone in these parts. Never know who may find you!" Nova called out to him. Harry's head snapped up with an angry retort on the tip of his tongue before he saw Nova and all of the annoyance in his expression melted to shock. The scruffy haired 14 year old sprinted over to her, but unlike the last teen who ran to her, he didn't stop. His hug plowed right into her and knocked them both over into the dog. A happy, but uneasy expression crossed Harry's face as he looked from Nova to the dog. "Hey, Sir- Snuffles! What are you doing here?" He hesitantly asked the dog. He was answered by a slobbery lick on his face that he wiped off with a disgusted expression.

"I guess we were waiting for the same person, huh?" She asked the excited pup who was now running in happy circles, chasing his own tail. "What did you say his name was, Har? Snuffles?"

"Err… well, it was sort of the first thing that came into my head, you know? He started following me a couple months back and I haven't really gotten a chance to name him yet."

"He should have a proper name if you're going to keep him. What about 'Aten' since you're my starchild?"

The dog gave a loud bark that almost sounded like a laugh, and bounded up and gave a lick to Nova's face as well. "Well, I guess that settles it then, Aten!" She scratched Aten's head, "Hey Har, how do you plan on taking him with you? I didn't think they allowed dogs at Hogwarts,"

Harry squirmed for a minute, "They don't.. I guess I figured he would just go back to wherever he came from.."

"Nonsense, he can come with me! That way at least he will be fed and taken care of for whenever you want to see him,"

The boy looked up at her with hopeful eyes, "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not, now come on. You're as thin as a rail, let's get you some lunch." Harry rolled his eyes, but made his way over to the vendor with Nova and Aten anyways. He watched as she ordered two large sandwiches and handed one to him and gave the other to the dog. It was almost time for the train to leave and the station was full of parents pushing their way around and kids trying to find their friends. He didn't spot anyone he knew, so he put the wrapped sandwich into his side bag and turned to give his goodbyes to his companions. After hugging Aten, and giving him a whispered promise to write, Harry straightened up and gave Nova a long hug.

"Be good for me, Star Child, and I'll take good care of Aten. Be careful and know that I'll be close by if you need me," He gave her a strange look at her perplexing message before promising that he would stay safe and keep studying and all of the stuff he assumed a parent would want to hear if he had one. It felt weird to have her here in person, taking care of him, but it was a good kind of weird. "Love you, Har. Know that I'm proud of how well you've been doing so far," She ran her hand through his unruly locks one more time before spinning his shoulders and giving him a push in the direction of the train. As he was walking away, he called back a quick and bewildered, "Love you too!" While reflecting that that had been the first time that someone had ever told him that they loved him in person.

The dog and girl looked on, watching the boy they both thought of as a surrogate son board the Hogwarts Express for the first time. After a moment, she looked down at the mangy mutt, "Well first things first, mister. You need a bath before I can bring you to Romania,"

Aten cocked his head at the mention of Romania, but the promise of a nice bath had him trotting along beside her to the Apparation point.


	4. Chapter 2 - Romania

"Here we are, Aten! Romania!" Nova told a shell-shocked looking dog, while gesturing to the three sedate dragons sleeping in a fenced area. She ran a hand through his now-silky and clean coat while explaining, "There's usually more excitement, but these three have been moved away from the rest of the dragons. They're nesting mothers, and we will be bringing them to Hogwarts later this year,"

Aten cocked his head at her, confused as to what use Hogwarts would have for three dragons. Nova took his tilted head as a sign of understanding, and continued the tour.

They walked about a mile past the sleeping dragons, to where the living quarters were, and she let herself and Aten into the building. She gave a nod to Ben, who was in the recreational area playing ping-pong with Charlie, and introduced her new companion to them. Not wanting to interfere with their game, or their obvious flirting, she quickly kept moving to the magical equivalent of an elevator. The dog stepped into the box cautiously, and startled as they began to move upwards. He noticed that his new "owner" was completely at ease, but couldn't help staggering a bit as he walked out once they had reached their floor.

"It's a little bit disorienting, I know, but if we didn't have it, we would be stuck walking up thirteen flights of stairs." Nova said, as Aten noticed the massive window they were in front of, looking out over the Reservation. "We live up here so high not only because of the great view, but also so that we can keep an eye out for trouble. The dragons get a little bit too curious sometimes, and like to see where we go once we leave them for the evening shift. This way, we can see them before they get too close,"

Nova and Aten walked a little ways down the hall until she pulled her wand out and tapped a door labeled "24" with it.

"I'll change the wards so that if you put your paw on either side of the door, it will open for you. Just please remember to shut it once you're through!" She smiled down at her new companion. He seemed surprised and pleased to be allowed access to their rooms whenever he liked. Wagging his tail and giving a small bark of happiness, he looked around. The rooms were fairly sparse. There was a small kitchen with a refrigerator and a stove, but not much else. His nose noticed the menagerie of teas that she had out on the counter near a well-loved teapot. They continued through the kitchen and into a living area. Aten took in the fireplace against the wall, the black leather couch, and matching coffee table. "I know it's not much," Nova explained to him, "But I don't stay here all that often, and really most of my time is spent out with the dragons." She enlarged a pillow from the couch to nearly the size of the couch itself and set it on the floor near the fire. "Feel free to bring that wherever you'd like and use it as a bed, or any of the furniture. I don't really have many rules for you, just please try not to tear anything up," The thin dog gave her a deadpan stare full of intelligence, and Nova chuckled, knowing that it wouldn't be a problem.

The pair explored the last room of their quarters and Aten noticed that this room looked more lived-in than the others did. There was a queen sized bed with deep blue hangings and sheets. On either side of the bed was a cherry wood nightstand holding trinkets, a lamp, and a muggle alarm clock. Along the walls were photographs of nearly hundreds of people, each including Nova at various ages. The largest thing on her wall was a Ravenclaw banner with smaller Gryffindor and Slytherin banners underneath it. Her broom, a practical Nimbus 2000, was propped up against the dresser, and was the only other homey touch to the room.

"As you can probably see, I was in Ravenclaw, but nearly all of my best friends were in Gryffindor or Slytherin. I was a bit of an anomaly, really, but my whole family has been in Ravenclaw," Picking up a picture from her wall that was larger than the others, she showed it to Aten. It showed Nova looking a bit younger with her arms around an eight year old girl who looked similar to her, but with a dreamy look in her eyes that contrasted with the sharp intelligence in Nova's. Beside them was a man who seemed a bit… eccentric with his mismatched clothing and feathers sticking out of his hair, and a woman who was looking onto her family with a warm smile playing on her lips. "The younger girl is my sister, Luna. She's in her third year now at Hogwarts. A Ravenclaw like the rest of us. On the right is my father. He's always done his best by us, but it was hard when Mum passed away a few years ago. Luna was only nine, and I think that while she's always been a little bit different, Mum's death pushed her even further away from the kids her age. She and Dad are very similar in that way, they see things and believe things that other people don't. I think it's their way of coping," She smiled a little bit, running her finger over her mother in the photograph. "Mum was a researcher, always looking for something new to come up with or create. She had a shed out back that she would work in, and made sure that it had every safety precaution, but it wasn't enough. One day she was working on a new project that she was extremely excited about, but it was for the Department of Mysteries, so she couldn't ever give us a hint as to what it was. We heard the explosion as I was helping Luna chase the Nargles away from her flowers in the garden. I ran as fast as I could to her shed, but there was nothing I could do," Putting the picture back on the wall as she finished her story, she sighed. "Well I'm exhausted, Aten. What do you say we cook some dinner and call it a night?"

Aten wagged his tail, and gently licked the lone tear off of her cheek. He nudged her gently towards the kitchen, and she chuckled, petting his head with a fond expression. She stood up, and the pair wandered to the stove to prepare some food.

* * *

The next morning, Nova woke up to a mouthful of black fur. Utterly confused, she sat up, noticing the large if thin dog sprawled out next to her. Huffing a laugh, she ran a hand through the dog's coat, lying back down to snuggle for a bit. She turned to look at her clock, seeing that it was only five o'clock in the morning, and decided she had some time to lie in bed and think about what was coming up.

"We get to see Harry soon," she whispered to the dog, still carding a hand through his fur. Aten seemed to perk up at the mention of Harry, and they shared a grin. "I guess you and me are stuck together, then. At least until Harry can take care of you when he's older," Aten bumped her hand to get her to keep petting him, and placed a small lick on her nose. Nova gave a small giggle, and continued petting him, giving the dog a moment to think about his situation. Now that he wasn't dirty or starving anymore, the uneasiness began to set in. He had known Nova in school, though she was a few years younger than him. He remembered her as the girl who would discuss theory with Lily in the Gryffindor common room, sticking out like a sore thumb in her Ravenclaw robes. She was the one that no one seemed to ever mind having around, and she had friends everywhere, regardless of house or year. They had become friends, though not very close, because she was the sort of person people couldn't spend time with and _not_ become friends with. She was his only contact with his brother, Regulus, and she would discretely let him know how he was doing without ever having to ask.

It felt a bit weird now to be lying next to her in bed, even as a dog. It had seemed perfectly natural last night, when they were stuffed and completely exhausted from their day of traveling, but now he was unsure. He shifted a little, as though he needed to go outside, and she understood. Grabbing her dressing gown, she took him out and showed him how to do so on his own. Knowing that he was a smart dog, she added in up and down buttons on the elevator at dog height. While he went off to do his business, she wandered over to the community garden. She heard a wolf whistle and turned to see Charlie leaned up against a rake and leering at her. "Say, what's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?" He called as a form of greeting. "Get stuffed Charlie, we all know you're as bent as a paperclip," She shot back, tightening the tie of her robe anyways to stave off the slight chill. Aten chose that moment to trot up to her and gave Charlie a stare.

"Charlie, you met Aten for a moment last night, Aten this is Charlie Weasley. A good friend of mine, and my main contact here at the Reserve," Nova told her furry friend. Charlie gave her a look and questioned, "Why are you talking to your dog as is he's a human?" Nova shrugged, "He seems to understand English, I've written it off of as yet another miracle of magic mixed with what seems to be a lot of intelligence." Taking her word for it, Charlie held out his hand for the dog to scent and said, "Well welcome to the family then, Aten. Nova has a habit of collecting us," He sent a smirk at Nova and ruffled Aten's head. "You may want to go get dressed, the sun's nearly up and that means we need to go relieve the night shift." She nodded and waved a small goodbye before heading back upstairs with Aten.

"Well you heard him. I'll be heading out to work the day shift with the dragons. You're welcome to join me, and you can head back here any time you get bored," Nova let her companion know. "I'll make us some breakfast and we can start our day,"

* * *

Aten stared in amazement at the sheer number of dragons Nova introduced him to. Most of the dragons had been friendly to her, if not a little bit cautious towards him as a newcomer. One dragon though, had taken a particular liking to him. Norberta was a massive Norwegian Ridgeback who was only a few years old, but was already larger than nearly all of the other dragons on the Reserve. She was currently wrapped around him, keeping him warm near her belly. He heard a snap and looked up to see Nova had taken their picture. Norberta flicked the tip of her large tail as if she was amused, and went back to her afternoon nap. Aten wasn't nearly so sleepy, but he knew from previous attempts that if he tried to leave before the large dragon decided she wanted him to, she would just grab him by the scruff of his neck and settle him right back in the same spot. He sent a pleading look to Nova, who took pity on the poor pup and told him Norberta's story.

Norberta was hatched by Hagrid in his hut with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Originally named Norbert, because it was difficult to tell the gender until the dragon hits puberty, Hagrid raised it for a few months until she got to be a fire hazard. Nova told him all about how Harry and his friends had contacted Charlie out of concern for their friend's wooden house, and snuck him off of Hogwarts grounds in the dead of night. Norberta had been here ever since, but with no male Norwegian Ridgebacks at the Reserve, she never was able to lay eggs and have children of her own. Nova laughingly confided that she must have decided that Aten was her new baby dragon to take care of. Exceedingly amused with the story, and happy to get any information about his godson that he could, he drifted off for a small nap with his new dragon friend.

Later in the day, Nova took Aten around with her to show him how they got on brooms and encouraged the dragons to exercise and socialize with the other dragons. They wore fireproof protection, as the dragons were known to get too aggressive on occasion, but fortunately there were no problems. All of the dragons were preoccupied with the new canine addition to their numbers. They nosed Aten as if wondering where his wings were, and why he wasn't flying.

After, Nova released the livestock that would serve as the dragons' dinner and let them go to hunt it. A completely different side of the Reserve was run by farmers with the task of raising cattle, sheep and other livestock for the dragons to eat. The dragons took off to find their meals, and Nova cleaned up the area of the dragons she was working with for the day and left, leaving the rest of the work for the Tamers that worked in the evenings. The sun was setting as she stretched and walked Aten back to their living building.

They ate dinner with the other Tamers that evening in the massive diner-style area of the common floor. Everyone sat around one large table, sharing the food around and swapping stories both about their days as well as other aspects of life. Nova was able to introduce Aten to the remainder of the Tamers that worked during the day, and they had all taken his understanding of conversation in stride.

As the days went on, it wasn't out of the ordinary for Aten to be seen trotting along with other Tamers, or curled up with Norberta. Before long, Aten had been at the Reservation for a month and a half, and everyone was getting ready to move the three nesting mother dragons to Hogwarts. Nova and Aten would be going, as would Charlie, Ben, Alaina, Robert, and Anton. They were the trainers that had the most contact with the three dragons, and therefore the ones that they were most friendly with. It was decided that each dragon would have two handlers, with Nova and Robert taking care of the Swedish Short-Snout, Charlie and Ben taking care of the Chinese Fireball, and Alaina and Anton caring for the Common Welsh Green.

The three dragons were being fed sedatives, and were about to be packed for travel, when an urgent missive arrived. "Need four dragons" was all that it said, and Charlie and Ben scrambled to get the only other nesting mother on the Reservation, a Hungarian Horntail with quite the temper. It was one of the few dragons that didn't get along well with the Tamers, though it seemed friendly enough with Aten. Because it was so last minute, they weren't able to bring any more Tamers with them. They would have to make due, and work with who they had.

It was quite a process getting the Horntail to relax enough to be injected with a sedative. As soon as she was, though, she was quickly packed up and put with the other three dragons so that they could travel to Scotland. The Reserve had a modified form of the Floo system that was specifically to be able to transport dragons that were sick to places that were more specialized.

The Tamers and their scaly cargo stepped in, and were soon to be on their way to Hogwarts.


End file.
